Pedal apparatus for railway signaling



May l, 1928.

J. E. COLAS PEDAL APPARATUS Foa RAILWAY SIGNALING Filed 0ot.14 1926 5Sheng-Sheet 1 May', 192s. 1,668,267

J. E. COLAS PEDAL APPARATUS. FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING Filed 00. 14 1926 3ShBGtS-Sh't. 2

l i l 2f Wm/Ziff! May l, 1928.

Filed Oct. 14 1926 3 Sheets-SheetI 3 UNITED srAT1-.Pza PATENT OFFICEsfPatented May 1, 192s.

`JOSEPH ERNEST COLAS, or PARIS, FRANCE.

PEDAL APPARATUS Fon yRAILWAY SIGNALING.

` Appncaaun4 ined october 14, 192e, serial No. 141,651,- ana in Franceotober 29, 1925.

The present invention relates to a pedal apparatus for railway signalingwhich acts by the opening and closing of an electric circuit by means ofaswitcli mounted upontheV shaft of the pedal, and more particularly tothose signaling apparatus in which the return motion of the pedal toitsidle position is delayed, due to the provision of suitable dampingmeans. This delay is the return of the pedal to the initial position,which considerably reduces the shocks due to the passage of thesuccessive wheels of a given wagono-r train, is obtained by a ldevicewhich is connected withthesaidfpedal and com"- prises a pump cylinder,a` iston and an inlet valve which are immerse in a" casing containing aliquid. A calibrated orificeprd videdV in the ypiston provides for thegradual `passage of the liquid Contained between the said pistonandvalve, and hence for the slow return of the liquid to the initialposition. Since the liquid which is utilized is prei-erA ably a.suitablelubricant,` a groove Aformed for the purposein the `saidcasingwill provide for the automatic lubrication oit' the bearings ofthe apparatus.' l

Further characteristics of the `invent-ion will be specified in thefollowing description with reference to` the appended drawings whichshowlby way of example an embodi ment of the invention.. Y y

Fig. 1 is a section of the apparatusA `on the line A-A of Fig. 2, and'.l y i ,Fig` 2 is the corresponding plan view,` with thecovers removed,the cover of the main casing being shown in sectionv on the line B-B ofFig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a section ont-he linepC-C of Fig. :2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational vie'w of the switch. Fig. 5 is a partialsection on the line D--D of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a general view of the apparatus mounted in posltion.

The apparatus shown in the drawing coury prises a casing 1, closed by a'cover` 2 which is hingedl at 3'.' Upon thebottom of the said casing ismounted a box i containing the damping devicerand the electric switch A.To' a shaft 5, pivoted ingsuitable bearings provided upon the box/t, iskeyedthe pedal 6 which consists preferably ot" a set offlexible metallicstrips which are actedupon by the wlieels'of the wagons for pivotingthepedal; to the same shaft is keyed the lever 7 of the damping 'device andthe oscillating .be "hereinafter described. The operation oi the saiddamping device is as follows:

Vhen the pedal is lowered by the action of the vehicle wheel 16, thepiston 9 will be rapidly raised. Duev tothe sudden vacuum thus producedin the space l0, the valvelQ opens and oil "is supplied to the saidys`pace`.

When the wheel'of the wagon has moved forward,` tliedescent of thepiston is damped bv the oil situatedbelo-w it. Thisdamping will begradually ei'l`ected,-` due to the passage ot' the oil through theaperture 11 which is calibrated according to the speed of `-return whichistobe obtained.

The liquid in the box 4 is a lubricant; the groove 15 collects theliquid which results from the splashing when- ,the said piston isoperated,iand leads it to the bearings which are `to be lubricated'. Thesaid bearings are so arranged that the oil will be returned .to the box,so that theconsumption of oil will be practically negligible. Since thebox 4 has a relatively large size, it needs to be filled only "at ver`long intervals. Avery small vaciiumwillisuice to liitthevalve (theadjustinent of the sinking '13 permits to regu4 late tlre'forcerequired-tor the lifting). The apparatus is very`1`esponsive and willoperi ate with light vehicles such as the lightfoui`- wheeled trackvehicles ot the petrol type.

The slow return ot' the pedal to its position of equilibriumlias theetifect of attenuating to a large'degree the shocks due te thesuccessivepassage ofthe wheels of a given train. 4

The electric switch A (Fig. 4), which is controlled by tlieinotion oithe pedal 6, consists of "a metallic member 18 `wl1ich is clamped to theshaft 5 and supp`orts- `through the medium of the shocleabsorbingsprings 19 and the metallic strips 20a `tube 1 of insulatingmaterialsuch asrvlass. At

loo

certain uantity of mercury lwhich is placed in the tu e'will make the ectric Contact between the'metal pieces 2l and 22, or 23 and 24,according to the inclination `of the shaft 5.

The wires 25, 26, 27,28 are connected with the respect-ive cont-actpieces and form two electric circuits. The closing of either circuitwill control the `functioning of a signal device, by means ot suitablerclays or motors. The said circuits are so disposed that the wires 26and 27 are united in a common conductor, the other two wires beingindependent. The conductors 25. 2G, 27 and 28 consist in tact of wireswhich are ilexible inpart und rigid in part, the said conductors beingconnected to the three terminals 29 which are connected by the rigidright-angled brackets 29 and the iexiblewires 30 to the terminals 31,serving as the starting point for the three respective conductors 32which are broughtout of the box through the metallic4 tube 33. Y

lDue to the flexible nature of the said conductors, they are enabled tofollow all the oscillations lof theV switch, as well as the motion ofthe tube with reference to the member 18.

VThe whole apparatus is secured by the screw spikes 34 to the sleeper85.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to 'the constructions herein setforth which are given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosec-ure by Letters Patent is:

V1. Automatic signal apparatus for railways and the like comprising acasing ada ted to receive a charge of lubricant, a sha t secured on saidcasing, a control member fulcrumed on said shaft and adapted to receivethe actuating impulse of a vehicle wheel and to oscillate under suchaction. a hollow pump cylinder in said casing, a piston connected tosaid control member and adapted to reciprocate within said cylinderunder the level of the lubricant in said casing, and means whereby theself lubrication of the non-immersed working parts of the device isautomatically provided, electric circuits and means actuated by saidcout-rol member for controlling said circuits.

Automatic signal apparatus forV rail ways and the like comprising acasing adapted to receive a charge of lubricant. a shaft secured on saidcasing, a cont-rol member fulcrumed on said shaft and adapted to receivethe actuating impulse of a vehicle wheel and to oscillate under suchact-ion, a hollow pump cylinder in said casing, a piston connected tosaid control member and under the level of the lubricant in said casing,an inlet valve at the -bottom of said cylinder and adapted tooperatively coopcrate with a calibrated aperture provided in saidpiston, 'said valve being adapted to reciprocate within a large chamberprovided at the bottom of said'4 casing and means for automaticallyconveying the, lubricant to the journals of said shaft and othernon-immersed working parts of t-he device, electric circuits, and meansactuated by said control member for controlling said circuits.

3. An automatic signal apparatus for railways and= the like, comprisinga1 casing, a control member fulcrumed in said casing and adapted toreceive the actuating impulse of a vehicle wheel and'to oscillate undersuch action, damping means connected to said control memberiand adaptedto de lay the return movement of saidl control member, electriccircuits, a mercury rocking switch comprising a. tubeV of-insulatingmateri al secured on said shaft and forming separate pockets for theelectrodes ot said switch and a mass of mercur adapted to move said tubewhereby controllin said circuits.

4. An automatic signa apparatus for railways and the like, comprising acasing, a control member fulcrumed; in said casing and adapted toreceive the actuating impulse of a vehicle wheel and to oscillateundersuch action, damping means connected to said control member and adaptedto' delay the returnfmovement of said control member, electric circuits,a mercury rocking switch comprising a tube of insulating materia'lsecuredon said shaft and forming separate pockets for the electrodes ofsaid switch, a signal apparatusadapted to be controlled by some of saidelectrodes, another signal apparatus adapted to be simultaneously-andindependentlyv controlled by the otherelectrodes and a. mass of mercuryadapted to move said tube whereby controlling said circuits.

5. An automatic signal apparatus for railways and the like, comprisinga` casing` a; contro'l member fulcrumed in said casing and adapted toreceive the actuatingimpulsc ota vehicle wheel and to oscillate undersuch action, damping means connected to saidV control member and adaptedto delay thereturn movement of said control member, elec-V triccircuits, a mercury rocking switch comprising a tube of insulatingmaterial secured in said shaft andl forming separate pockets for theelectrodes of said switch, a mass of mercury adapted to travel throughsaid tube whereby controlling said circuits and a shock absorberinsertedv between said mercury tube.

and said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my c name to vthis specification.

JOSEPH ERNEST CQLAS,

